Media Contacts: Jennifer Rice Rice Public Relations LLC (206) 285-5175 rice1234@yahoo.com Jacquelyn S. Rardin ACT A Contemporary Theatre (206) 292-7660 x1327 jacquelyn.rardin@acttheatre.org (please do not publish these numbers) Ann Landers, Winning Short Stories, Big Parties, and Cerebral Dates Make for a September 2010 Seattle, WA September 2, 2010 September is loaded with a variety of plays, readings, presentations and parties, starting with David Rambo's portrait of renowned advice columnist Ann Landers in The Lady With All the Answers. Also answering the big questions is ACT's new lecture series, InterACTions with The Physiology of Imagination and the Aesthetics of Stability with historian Mott Greene. The popular Pinter Fortnightly series and Short Stories Live return, along with Seattle Dance Project s 2010-2011 season opener, Project Orpheus, based on the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. September also marks the return of ACT Out! Gala & Benefit, a fun filled night featuring the talents if UMO Ensemble, Awesome and The Love Markets. The Lady With All the Answers by David Rambo September 10-October 31 Tickets: start at $37.50 (adults) $10/$15 (students/people 25 and under) or included for ACTPass Monthly Members Starring Julie Briskman, enjoy an evening of home truths and delicious dish with renowned advice columnist Ann Landers as she shares some of her favorite letters and memories while struggling to write the toughest column of her life. This is an irresistible portrait of the woman who used charm, chutzpah, and one hell of a Rolodex to become America s Therapist.
Page Two Ann Landers, Winning Short Stories, Big Parties, and Cerebral Dates Make for a Short Stories Live at Town Hall: The Jewish Imagination September 12 Tickets: Advance tickets, $13/$10 Town Hall Members, seniors & students; $15/$13 at the door or included for ACTPass Monthly Members; online at brownpapertickets.com. Think of it as NPR s Selected Shorts, Seattle style: ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie selects compelling short stories based on a common theme; then local actors bring the stories to life during readings at Town Hall. The season premiere of Short Stories Live features excerpts from classic short stories capturing the Jewish imagination: Woody Allen s "Hassidic Tales, With a Guide to Their Interpretation by the Noted Scholar"; the Depression-Era "Looking for Mr. Green" by Saul Bellow; and J.D. Salinger s story-withina-story, "The Laughing Man." Readers include: Kurt Beattie, Frank Corrado, and Chris Ensweiler. ACT OUT! Gala & Benefit A Special Event at Seattle Art Museum September 13 Tickets: $200 (or just $35 for the ACT Out for Central Heating Lab party) For 2010, ACT's party of the year is heading to Seattle Art Museum. ACT OUT!, the formal gala, is upstairs, featuring a menu by TASTE, select wines from Columbia Crest Grand Estates, and jaw dropping entertainment provided by UMO Ensemble, with musical act, The Love Markets. And that s not all: for only $35, get access to the party action downstairs with hosts Ian Bell and Peggy Gannon, along with the talents of Jose Bold and headlining performances from CHL artist "Awesome", making for an unforgettable evening of fun in support of ACT s artistic and educational programming. Seattle Dance Project: Project Orpheus September17-September 25 Tickets: start at $25 or included for ACTPass Monthly Members Based on the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Project Orpheus showcases the choreography of Wade Madsen, Eva Stone, and Olivier Wevers. Join Artistic Directors Julie Tobiason and Timothy Lynch on a journey to the underworld and witness furies, snakes, and powerful creatures as they interact with Orpheus and Eurydice in this original, modern dance interpretation. Originally created in the Bullitt Cabaret at ACT in 2008 as a companion piece to Sarah Ruhl s Eurydice, Project Orpheus opens Seattle Dance Project s 2010-2011 season and will be restaged in the round for ACT s Allen Theatre.
Page Three Ann Landers, Winning Short Stories, Big Parties, and Cerebral Dates Make for a Pinter Fortnightly: The Dumb Waiter and Family Voices September 20 Tickets: FREE! Seating is limited and reservations are strongly encouraged Curator Frank Corrado continues the popular Pinter Fortnightly series with readings of two contrasting one-act plays. In The Dumb Waiter, one of Pinter s funniest plays, a pair of seemingly inept hit men occupy a shabby basement room awaiting instructions for their next job, instructions that come from above via a very comically inclined dumbwaiter. Family Voices is a more sober work, at times witty and ironic, and at times anguished and poignant. It consists of intercutting monologues that suggest either narrated letters between a mother and son, or possibly an interior monologue given voice. Cast includes: John Ayward, R. Hamilton Wright, Susan Corzatte, and Burton Curtis. InterACTions: Mindscapes Part 2 The Physiology of Imagination and the Aesthetics of Stability September 26 Tickets: $15, free for students/people under 25, or included for ACTPass Monthly Members Part two of the new annual InterACTions speaker series features historian Mott Greene as he investigates how it is becoming increasingly evident that the pace of fundamental novelty and imagination, at the end of the 20 th century and beginning of the 21 st century, is actually slowing down. He will share how an explosion of a variety of cultural products acts as a brake on the creative process and the acceptance of change within our social and technical structures and our artistic creations. Launched in 2008, The Central Heating Lab at ACT serves as an incubator and catalyst for new works. ACT cultivates, produces, and presents artists working in all performance genres and provides an artistic home for a variety of local performance groups and artists. Relationships develop daily with individual actors, performers and playwrights while established partnerships with groups such as the New Century Theatre Company, RAWSTOCK, Seattle Dance Project, and Icicle Creek Theatre Festival deepen. New programs are added throughout the year. With year-round programming produced by The Central Heating Lab at ACT alongside ACT s Mainstage season of plays, ACT offers its patrons a unique opportunity to maximize their theatre experience the ACTPass Monthly Membership: all you can see for only $20 (under age 30) to $25 per month! Members can attend any ACT produced performance throughout any given month, provided tickets are available. It is flexible, affordable, and is the first of its kind in the region. There is no contract, members may cancel at any time, and there is no limit to the number of times a member can attend. For the month of July and August, that means a Member can see all our shows, if they so choose, for only $20 to $25 vs. paying the single ticket price of at least $165 (if buyer would choose to see all offerings).
Page Four Ann Landers, Winning Short Stories, Big Parties, and Cerebral Dates Make for a For more information about September programming or the ACTPass Monthly Membership, or to arrange interviews, please contact Jennifer Rice at (206) 285-5175 or rice1234@yahoo.com. September 2010 Summary: The Lady with all the Answers by David Rambo A Mainstage Play September 10-October 31 Tickets: start at 37.50 (adults) $10/$15 (students/people 25 and under) or included for ACTPass Monthly Members Short Stories Live at Town Hall: The Jewish Imagination September 12 Tickets: Advance tickets, $13/$10 Town Hall Members, seniors & students; $15/$13 at the door or included for ACTPass Monthly Members; online at brownpapertickets.com ACT OUT! A Special Event at Seattle Art Museum September 13 Gala & Benefit Tickets: $200 CHL Party Tickets: $35 Seattle Dance Project: Project Orpheus September 17-September 25 Tickets: start at $25 or included for ACTPass Monthly Members Pinter Fortnightly: The Dumb Waiter and Family Voices September 20 Tickets: FREE, but seating is limited and reservations are strongly encouraged InterACTions: Mindscapes Part 2 The Physiology of Imagination and the Aesthetics of Stability September 26 Tickets: $15, free for students/people under 25 or included for ACTPass Monthly Members ACT Theatre Ticket Office: (206) 292-7676 Group Sales (12 or more): (253) 839-4204 700 Union Street, Seattle WA 98101 www.acttheatre.org
Page Five Ann Landers, Winning Short Stories, Big Parties, and Cerebral Dates Make for a About ACT A Contemporary Theatre Located in the heart of downtown Seattle and serving a population of curious, open-minded, and brave audiences, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is the only local theatre dedicated to producing contemporary work with promising playwrights and local performing artists since 1965. A theatre of new ideas, ACT serves as a cultural engine that makes plays, dance, music, and film that touch us. Because contemporary life demands examination, ACT is driven to inspire and strengthen our diverse community through works that advance our understanding of human life. ACT is an interactive community where artists and the public witness, contemplate, and engage in dialogue on today s thought-provoking issues, ideas and art, presented with intelligence, insight, and humor. ACT gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Season Sponsors ArtsFund, ACT Foundation, The Mayor s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and The Shubert Foundation, along with Producing Partners 4Culture, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, The Boeing Company, Microsoft Corporation, Nesholm Family Foundation, the Peg & Rick Young Foundation, and PONCHO. # # #